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UK2024 Election: Celebrity Endorsements for Trump and Harris and Their Impact on Betting Odds
Politicians love celebrity endorsements, but how much do celebs actually impact elections? Whether it’s Taylor Swift or Hulk Hogan, the range of celebrities willing to align with Kamala Harris and Donald Trump this fall is growing.
The 2024 US election is extremely tight. Political betting odds suggest less than a 7% differential between Harris and Trump. The polls are even closer, which is why Democrat and Republican strategists crave celebrity endorsements to boost support for their candidates.
But is chasing the Hollywood A-listers really worth it? We’ve crunched the numbers and aligned big political endorsements with the polls and odds at top sportsbooks. And you know what? We’re not sure Swift, George Clooney, or even Elon Musk shifted the dial.
- Harris has the support of Swift, Clooney, Curry, and Streisand
- Swift’s endorsement triggered 400,000 Americans to register to vote
- Trump has Musk, Hulk Hogan, and Brand in his corner
- Harris 55.6%, Trump 48.8% probability to win election based on Polymarket forecast.
- Odds: Harris -125, Trump +105 to win at BetOnline
Overview of 2024 Celebrity Election Endorsements
Politicians rely on support from influential figures to get noticed. Whether it’s a global pop star or a well-known local fundraiser, these figures can attract more people to your campaign.
This idea first became high profile during the 1920 presidential election. Popular singer and actor Al Jolson supported Republican presidential candidate Warren G. Harding. Since then, the likes of Babe Ruth, Frank Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., and Judy Garland have become prolific endorsers.
Harvard research shows that celebrity engagement is good for democracy. It encourages people to register to vote. In return, celebrities get to improve their “brand positioning.”
So, celebrity endorsements are mutually beneficial, but only up to a point. The 2024 US election has seen a wave of A-listers back Harris and peripheral stars side with Trump. The result doesn’t seem to have shifted the polls or the odds too much.
Where Did We Get the Data?
All political forecasting percentages come from Polymarket, which is the world’s largest online prediction market. The site shares and projects data to assist readers in profiting off of popular markets – in this case political betting.
The odds in this post were grabbed from a number of reputable political betting sites, including BetOnline and Bovada. Pricing is subject to change.
For forecasting percentages, we compare data from the day before and the day after a celebrity endorsement was announced. The odds reflect the available pricing before, and the next available odds after, a celebrity endorsement became public.
Celebrity Endorsements for Kamala Harris
Currently, there are 11 celebrities endorsing Harris, some making more headlines than others. While the size of Harris’ celeb backing is perhaps shaping the election, none created an overnight shift in the odds or the polls.
Tina Knowles
- When: July 21
- Where: Instagram
- Harris Forecast After: 29%
- Harris Odds After: +225
Within minutes of Joe Biden announcing the end of his election campaign on July 21, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, endorsed Harris.
“New, Youthful, Sharp , , energy !!!! You asked for it and our President Biden did what was best for the country ! Putting personal Ego , power and fame aside . That is the definition of a great leader, . Thank you, President Biden for your service and your leadership . Go Vice President Kamala Harris for President. Let’s Go ❤️❤️❤️❤️ #kamala2024.”
Spike Lee
- When: July 21
- Where: Instagram
- Harris Forecast After: 29%
- Harris Odds After: +225
Another endorsement shortly after Biden’s resignation came from movie director and producer Spike Lee. He posted on social media.
This is the sort of endorsement one would expect Harris to receive, but not one that single-handedly shifted the polls or the odds.
Forecast and Odds (July 21 Endorsements)
Knowles and Lee have plenty of public influence, but we’re unsure if this is what caused Harris’ probability to win rise from 19% to 29%, or her poll numbers to rise 6%, that day. Her odds during that time also fell from +800 to +225.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 19% (+800) | 29% (+225) |
Barbra Streisand
- When: July 22
- Where: X
- Harris Forecast After: 32%
- Harris Odds After: +220
Within a day after Biden’s withdrawal from the presidential race, more and more celebrities gave Kamala their backing. Much of the focus was on Harris, but Barbra Streisand also chose to address her view of Trump. She wrote on X:
“I love Joe Biden, and all the wonderful things he’s done for our country. Trump is a pathological liar who lies as easily as he breathes. He wants to take away women’s rights and destroy our great democracy. Kamala Harris will continue Joe Biden’s work and will be a great president.”
Charli XCX
- When: July 22
- Where: X
- Harris Forecast After: 32%
- Harris Odds After: +220
Three words: “kamala IS brat”. That’s all Charli XCX had to tweet to send US politics into a meltdown. 2024 was the “Brat Summer” none of us knew we needed.
Charli XCX calling Harris “brat” became a huge, accidental endorsement for her. Within hours, the Democrats had taken up the slogan and ran with it. Harris was on a PR roll, with millions of dollars donated to her campaign.
Forecast and Odds (July 22 Endorsements)
Harris’ polls were already shooting up on July 22 so we can’t assume it was Streisand and Charlie XCX who gave her a 10% overnight poll boost. Her betting odds also fell by 5, to +220.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 18% (+225) | 32% (+220) |
George Clooney
- When: July 23
- Where: CNN
- Harris Forecast After: 37%
- Harris Odds After: +150
Harris fundraised $100 million in the days after Biden withdrew from the race, and one of her closest allies here is George Clooney. The Democratic star was quick to speak to CNN about his active fundraising efforts.
“We’re all so excited to do whatever we can to support Vice President Harris in her historic quest,” said the actor.
Forecast and Odds (July 23 Endorsement)
Clooney’s backing helped Harris’ odds fall to +150, while her poll numbers continued to climb to 37%.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 29% (+220) | 37% (+150) |
Oprah Winfrey
- When: August 21
- Where: DNC Speech
- Harris Forecast After: 47%
- Harris Odds After: -125
Harris was already the front-runner to win the 2024 US election when the Democratic National Convention (DNC) came around. But the DNC caused an avalanche of celeb endorsements, with Oprah Winfrey leading the charge:
“Soon, and very soon, we’re going to be teaching our daughters and sons about how this child of an Indian mother and a Jamaican father—two idealistic, energetic immigrants—how this child grew up to become the 47th president of the United States,” she said.
Forecast and Odds (August 21 Endorsement)
Harris’ odds had never been so low, yet the polls bounced in Trump’s favor during the DNC as people began to wonder if Harris-mania had fizzled out.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 48% (+150) | 47% (-125) |
Steph Curry
- When: August 22
- Where: DNC Video Call
- Harris Forecast After: 47%
- Harris Odds After: -125
Another big name came from the world of sports.
Steph Curry beamed into the DNC, saying, “I believe that Kamala as president could bring that unity back and continue to move our country forward. This is about preserving hope and belief in our country, making sure families can be taken care of during the most precious times.”
Fifty-one percent of NBA fans vote Republican, so any sway the Dems can pick up from Curry’s endorsement is significant.
Stevie Wonder
- When: August 22
- Where: DNC Video Call
- Harris Forecast After: 47%
- Harris Odds After: -125
Music sensation Stevie Wonder endorsed Harris at the DNC, but his long-running campaigning this fall goes the extra mile. He’s going on a tour titled “Can We Fix Our Nation’s Broken Heart?” to boost funds for the Democratic campaign.
Forecast and Odds (August 22 Endorsements)
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 47% (-125) | 47% (-125) |
Martha Stewart
- When: September 10, before the debate
- Where: Influencer SEO Forum
- Harris Forecast After: 50%
- Harris Odds After: -110
There was a lull in Kamala’s celebrity endorsements after the DNC for about two weeks until the Harris vs Trump TV debate aired. That’s when businesswoman Martha Stewart backed the Dems, saying she backed the candidate “who doesn’t hate New York” and “doesn’t hate democracy.”
This became a big attack line for the Democrats, accusing Trump of being undemocratic over the alleged incidents on January 6, 2021.
Stewart’s endorsement was one thing, but two bigger events happened on September 10 that drove Harris’ odds down to -110. The first was the TV debate, where Harris schooled Trump over the ABC debate and pushed him down dead-end traps. She toyed with Trump’s anxieties around crowd sizes and his relationship with Vladimir Putin to push negative focus onto him. She won the debate, and her odds of winning the election fell as soon as it was over.
And then came Taylor Swift.
Taylor Swift
- When: September 10, after the debate
- Where: Social Media
- Harris Forecast After: 50%
- Harris Odds After: -110
The pop sensation endorsed Harris within an hour of the debate ending. She wrote:
“I will be casting my vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the 2024 Presidential Election. I’m voting for @kamalaharris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them. I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos. I was so heartened and impressed by her selection of running mate @timwalz, who has been standing up for LGBTQ+ rights, IVF, and a woman’s right to her own body for decades. I’ve done my research, and I’ve made my choice…. With love and hope, Taylor Swift, Childless Cat Lady.”
Trump’s response was swift, posting, “I HATE TAYLOR SWIFT!” on his social media channels.
Swift’s influence was felt almost immediately, rising by 4% in the polls and seeing her odds move from -110 to -125. Her endorsement encouraged 400,000 Americans to register to vote. Although it’s impossible to gauge the true impact of Swift’s backing, it’s likely that many newly registered voters are Democrat-leaning.
Forecast and Odds (September 10 Endorsements)
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 46% (-125) | 50% (-110) |
Billie Eilish and Finneas O’Connell
- When: September 17
- Where: Social Media
- Harris Forecast After: 50%
- Harris Odds After: -125
Billie Eilish and her brother Finneas O’Connell joined Swift on the Harris train a week after the TV debate. In an Instagram video, they said:
“We are voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz because they are fighting to protect our reproductive freedom, our planet, and our democracy. We can’t let extremists control our lives, our freedoms, and our future. The only way to stop them and the dangerous Project 2025 agenda is to vote and elect Kamala Harris. Vote like your life depends on it, because it does.”
Their endorsement didn’t seem to affect the odds or the polls. Still, Harris’s odds were already 55.6% at the time, so her price was unlikely to improve much further.
Forecast and Odds (September 17 Endorsement)
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 49% (-125) | 50% (-125) |
Other Kamala Harris Celebrity Endorsements
- Olivia Rodrigo
- John Legend
- Aaron Sorkin
- Rosie O’Donnell
- Jamie Lee Curtis
- Robert De Niro
- Mindy Kaling
- Kerry Washington
- Matt Damon
- Lin-Manuel Miranda
- Mel Brooks
- Mark Hamill
- Lynda Carter
- LeVar Burton
- Anthony Rapp
- Misha Collins
Celebrity Endorsements for Donald Trump
Now, let’s look at the celebrities who endorse Trump. We’ve found 11 stars who have given their backing to the former president, some of whom have enormous societal influence.
These endorsements go back further than Harris’ because Trump has been the nailed-on GOP candidate for more than a year.
Kodak Black
- When: October 24, 2023
- Where: Drink Champs Show
- Trump Forecast After: 47%
- Trump Odds After: +140
This was a pretty simple display of support from musician Kodak Black. He said, “I f*ck with that boy. He a Gemini like me—his birthday two days after my shit. And that boy, like, he be vibin’ out here too.”
The Florida-born rapper is a long-time Trump supporter and the son of Haitian parents. He recently called out Trump for accusing Haitian immigrants of “eating pets,” but didn’t pull his support publicly. Black is still backing Trump and attended a rally on September 18.
Forecast and Odds (October 24, 2023 Endorsement)
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 47% (+150) | 47% (+150) |
Azealia Banks
- When: November 17, 2023
- Where: Evening Standard
- Trump Forecast After: 53%
- Trump Odds After: +140
Vote for Trump if you want a laugh. That seemed to be Azealia Banks’s message when the singer endorsed Trump last fall. “He’s just fucking funnyyy,” she told the Evening Standard. “He’s been through how many bankruptcies? How many wives? How many television shows? Seriously, nothing can take him down.”
Forecast and Odds (November 17, 2023 Endorsement)
Trump’s odds were starting to shorten in November last year as it became apparent he would become the GOP nominee, and his poll numbers grew as well.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 42% (+150) | 53% (+140) |
Kanye
- When: February 12
- Where: Media Interview
- Trump Forecast After: 44%
- Trump Odds After: +140
Kanye West first endorsed Trump ahead of the 2020 US election and is sticking by his man. In February of this year, he was asked about the former president and said: “Yeah of course, it’s Trump all day.”
He then questioned the reporter who asked him about his allegiance, “What you talking ’bout? You know what it is.” Kanye’s support comes with a fair bit of influence, although he has not been a big cheerleader for Trump in recent months.
Forecast and Odds (February 12 Endorsement)
Trump’s forecast numbers fell 2% he day Kanye spoke to reporters. However, by this time, his odds had fallen to -120 compared to the +140 in November 2023.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 46% (+140) | 44% (-120) |
Kid Rock
- When: May 19
- Where: Rolling Stone
- Trump Forecast After: 52%
- Trump Odds After: -138
Trump was 52% to win the election and was cruising in the polls back in May. He looked destined to crush Biden and was slowly collecting celebrity endorsements. Kid Rock has backed Trump since 2016 and told Rolling Stone he’d be voting Republican again this fall.
“I’m not electing the deacon of a church. That motherfucker likes to win. He likes to cheat in his fucking golf game. I want that guy on my team. I want the guy who goes, ‘I’m going to fight with you.”
Forecast and Odds (May 19 Endorsement)
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 52% (n/a) | 52% -138) |
Russell Brand
- When: June 7
- Where: Stay Free with Russell Brand Podcast
- Trump Forecast After: 56%
- Trump Odds After: -150
Controversial British celebrity Russell Brand is rebranding in America after being ostracized in the UK. Brand spoke on his podcast in early June about the choice between Trump and Biden.
He could only see one way forward, stating:
“In a straight choice between Donald Trump and Joe Biden, if you care about democracy, if you care about freedom, I don’t know how you could do anything other than vote for Donald Trump for precisely the reasons that they claim that you can’t.”
Forecast and Odds (June 7 Endorsement)
Brand’s endorsement came a few weeks before Biden’s disastrous TV debate. Trump was already ahead based on the forecast, and cruising at -150 with politics sportsbooks.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 55% (-150) | 56% (-150) |
Elon Musk
- When: July 13
- Where: X
- Trump Forecast After: 68%
- Trump Odds After: -400
Trump crushed Biden in their TV debate and looked on course to win the election. Then, on July 13, he survived an assassination attempt when a shooter hit his ear during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania. Moments after the incident, X owner Elon Musk tweeted:
Musk is Trump’s biggest celebrity endorsement. He controls one of the world’s biggest social media platforms and has thrown his full support behind Trump.
Forecast and Odds (July 13 Endorsement)
Trump’s odds sank to -400 after the shooting and Musk’s endorsement. Yet his forecast ratings did not reflect this huge change.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 60% (-400) | 68% (-400) |
Amber Rose
- When: July 15
- Where: Republican National Convention speech
- Trump Forecast After: 71%
- Trump Odds After: -400
A few days after the shooting, Trump was king of the Republican National Convention (RNC), watching the celebrity adoration come in.
Model and TV personality Amber Rose spoke at the RNC, saying: “I’m no politician and I don’t want to be, but I do care about the truth, and the truth is that the media has lied to us about Donald Trump. I know this because, for a long time, I believed those lies… I believed the left-wing propaganda that Donald Trump was a racist… I realized Donald Trump and his supporters don’t care if you’re Black, white, gay, or straight. It’s all love. And that’s when it hit me: These are my people. This is where I belong.”
Forecast and Odds (July 15 Endorsement)
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 70% (-400) | 71% (-400) |
Hulk Hogan
- When: July 18
- Where: Republican National Convention speech
- Trump Forecast After: 62%
- Trump Odds After: -400
- When: July 18
- Where: Republican National Convention speech
- Trump Polls After: 62%
- Trump Odds After: -400
Next up was Hulk Hogan, who said of Trump: “When they took a shot at my hero and they tried to kill the next president of the United States, enough was enough. And I said, let Trump-a-mania run wild, brother. Let Trump-a-mania rule again. Let Trump-a-mania make America great again. As an entertainer, I tried to stay out of politics, but after everything that’s happened to our country over the past four years and everything that happened last weekend, I can no longer stay silent.”
Dana White
- When: July 18
- Where: The Pat MacAfee Show
- Trump Forecast After: 62%
- Trump Odds After: -400
Trump’s headline endorsement during the DNC was from one of his existing backers, the UFC’s Dana White.
Already a Trump supporter, White reaffirmed his loyalty to the ex-president when saying: “Everybody wants to act like the tough guy. But when the [expletive] goes down, you find out who the tough guys are and who the tough guys are not. This guy is the legitimate, ultimate, American badass of all time.”
Forecast and Odds (July 15 Endorsement)
Trump’s forecast lead dropped slightly after the DNC, but his odds stayed at +110.
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 68% (+110) | 62% (+110) |
Joe Germanotta
- When: September 19, 2024
- Where: Fox & Friends
- Trump Forecast After: 48%
- Trump Odds After: +110
Trump’s odds ballooned in August when Harris replaced Biden as the Democratic candidate. Millions of dollars poured into the Dems’ campaign war chest. This left Trump frustrated that he’d picked JD Vance as his vice-presidential candidate. Very few celebrities have endorsed Trump since Harris emerged as his direct rival.
One of those few was Lady Gaga’s dad, Joe Germanotta. The New York City restaurant owner told Fox & Friends: “One is pure, you know, and he is a patriot, right? The other’s just going to say whatever she needs to say to get elected.”
| Forecast/Odds Before | Forecast/Odds After |
|---|---|
| 47% (+110) | 48% (+110) |
Other Donald Trump Celebrity Endorsements
- Chris Janson
- Jason Aldean
- Steve Wynn
- Rosaanne Barr
Do Celebrity Endorsements Impact Betting Odds?
As you can see, it’s hard to gauge precisely how influential celebrity endorsements can be. It’s believed Trump and Harris each have 40% of America’s votes sewn up, with the campaigns fighting over that last 20%.
Stars can help attract media attention, drive donations, and even encourage voter registration. But they never shift the dial in one swoop. Even Musk’s endorsement of Trump failed to immediately impact the odds or polls, as most political betting sites already gave Trump an 80%-likelihood of winning back in July.
Instead, it’s a gradual thing. Celebs can slowly help a candidate move from outsider to favorite over time. It happened to Harris at the DNC, where Oprah, Eva Longoria, Stevie Wonder, and many more showed their support. Meanwhile, Trump doesn’t have the same weight of celebrity support, but he’s still firmly in the race.
Celebrity Endorsements for the 2024 US Election
US elections are more celebrity-driven than ever before, thanks to social media. Celebrities have a profound influence over their fans, and politicians are desperate for this legitimacy.
Yet celebrities can only take a campaign so far. Harris got a boost from Charli XCX’s “brat” tweet and Taylor Swift’s nuanced reasoning behind her support. But it’s policy that ultimately decides the election.
Trump is polling well despite not having the same celeb support as Harris. That proves voters still care more about the candidate and not the caliber of the celebrity behind them.
Political parties get the most out of celebrities when they help fundraisers, like George Clooney and the Democrats. If they can generate a few million dollars worth of donations, that’s better than a few tweets or Instagram posts.
